Vent shutter grille



Oct. 10, 1950- L. J. REYNOLDS, SR

VENT SHUTTER GRILLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1947 2 N WWOMOM 1 I II I 1 I I I l I I I I d f v XVQ A w H M W Q Q 5 INVENTOR Lem/7 s fEZ/flo/ds; 5n]

ATTD RN EYE Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTSHUTTER GRILLE Lewis J. Reynolds, Sr., Bethany, Okla.

Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,426 1 Claim. (01. 98- 29) Thisinvention relates to a ventilator or shutter grille for insertion in thevent openings of building foundations.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich, applied to a vent opening in a building foundation, will permitventilation of the building during the summer months and prevent coldair from entering the vents during the winter months.

It has been the usual practice to close the vents in buildingfoundations with boards in the winter time to prevent cold drafts fromentering the vents and also to prevent the cold from damaging theplumbing under the house. In summer time, these boards are removed forcooling the building, and either stored or destroyed until the wintermonths, when they are again replaced, if they have been stored, or newones found if they have been destroyed. Over all, such a practice ismuch of nuisance when rose bushes or other shrubs block the vents.

The present invention has, therefore, been designed to eliminate thisundesirable method of closing these vents, and provide at the same timea device that is easily manipulated, once it has been installed.

With the above and other objects and advantages in View, the inventionconsists of the novel details of construction, arrangement andcombination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one form of the invention installedin the air vent of a building foundation;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with thedevice in open or ventilating position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the rear or sliding plate of thedevice;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is the same as Figure 2, with the device in closed position andFigure '7 is a sectional view of another or modified form of theinvention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral I0designates a ventilator constructed in accordance with the invention,that is to be placed over the vent opening II formed in the wall I2 of abuilding.

In Figure 1, there is shown a form of the invention that is to be usedwhere a conventional iron grille I3 has been inserted in the wall duringthe construction of the wall I2.

This form of the invention comprises an exterior or outer plate I4,which is of a larger size than the opening I I, and is placed over theopening l i and extends beyond said opening, as shown in Figure 2. Theouter marginal edge of the plate I4 is curved inwardly as at I5 toprovide a more attractive appearance, and firmly seal the edge of theplate at its contact with the wall.

A screw bolt I6 is provided with a clamp l'l at its inner end to engagethe grille I3, and nuts I8 on the outer end of the screw, which extendsbeyond the plate M, will, when tightened, hold the plate I4 firmly inposition in contact with the wall I2.

The plate I4 is provided with vertical rows of relatively spaced diamondshaped openings I9 having half diamond shaped or triangular shapedopenings 20 at the top and bottom thereof, which, at the top, have theirapexes pointed downward and at the bottom have their apexes pointingupward.

Intermediate of the openings I9 are triangular ceived in the tappedopening 24 in the rear or inner sliding plate 25.

The plate 25 is slidably mounted in the track ways-26 secured to theupper and lower longitudinal edges of the plate I4 by welding or thelike.

The plate 25 is provided with the vertically disposed relatively spacedrectangular shaped openings 21 which, as in Figure 2, coincide with therows of openings I9, 25 and 2I to permit air to enter therethrough or toclose these openings as in Figure 6 by coinciding with the plate I4intermediate of the openings I9, 20 and 2 I.

A slot 28 in one end of the plate 25 sleeves the bolt IE to permit fullmovement of the plate 25 to close or open the openings I9, 20 and 2| asdesired.

The knob 23, being a screw knob, can be tightened to draw the plate 25in close contact with the plate It to prevent rattling of the plate 25,and cut off the entrance of all air into the building through theventilator.

The form of the invention shown in Figure '7 comprises a ventilator 3Bwhich is set into the opening II in the wall I2 as is the grille I3during the construction of the wall of the building.

Thus the outer ends of the outer plate 3| are embedded in the wall I zto retain the ventilator therein. The plate 3| is provided with openingssimilar in all respects to the openings [9, 20 and 2!, and the screwknob 23' passes through the plate 3| to be received in the inner slidingplate 32 having the vertical openings 33 therein.

In this instance, the plate 32, along the upper and lower marginal edgesthereof, is provided with inturned flanges or trackways 34 whic'hengageover the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the plate 3| for slidablymounting the plate 32. The knob 23 operates in the same manner as knob23 to prevent rattling of the plate 32, and the plate 3| is slotted asis the plate I4 for the receiving of the knob 23'.

There has thus been provided a form of ve'ntilator which is adapted foruse with walls of buildings already constructed and for walls ofbuildings under construction.

It is believed that "the operation and construction of the ventilatorwill be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understoodthat changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement andcombination of parts may be resorted to, provided they fall Within thespirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired'to be secured by Letters Patent is: g

A building ventilator of the type described, for use in conjunction witha vent opening formed in the wall of a building and having a grillefixed in said opening, comprising an outer plate and an inner plate incontact with said outer plate, means for detachablyanchoring said outerplate to the grille in fixed relation to said opening, said meanscomprising a screw bolt, a clamp at the inner end of said bolt adaptedto removably engage the inner surface of the grille, and nuts on 'theouter end of said screw engaging the outer surface of said outer :plate,trackways formed on the rear of said outer plate along the longitudinalupper and lower edges thereof, said inner plate being slidably mountedby means of said trackways, vertically disposed parallel rows ofrelatively spaced diamond and triangular shaped openings in said outerplate, closed portions of said outer plate intermediate said rows ofopenings, vertically disposed parallel rows of relatively spacedrectangular shaped openings in said inner plate and means passingthrough said outer plate to be threadably received in said inner platefor moving said inner plate to position said rectangular openingstherein in alinement with the openings in said outer plate to permit thepassage of air therethrough, and to move said rectangular openings intoalinement with the closed portions of said outer plate to prevent thepassage of air through the openings in said outer plate and said meansadapted to be tightened to retain said inner plate in firm contact withsaid outer plate when said plates are in said latter position.

,LEWISJ. REYNOLDS, SR.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 202,381 Shirk Apr; 16, 1878318,912 Keller May 26, 1895 848,917 McElligott et al. Apr. 2, 19971,855,294 Kuehne et a1. Apr. 26, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country"Date 4,409 Great Britain '1888 12,597 Great Britain 1888 53,600 7Norway "Feb. 26, 1934 480,372 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1938 487,030.GreatBritain June 14, 1938 712,285 France July 20, ,1931

